VOICE OF THE PEOPLE — MARCH 14, 2020
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Is palliative up to par?
First, I thank Laura Smith for bringing awareness to the need for more palliative care, but I must comment on how soon we forget. Not that I ever will, nor should I. My own father’s ordeal two years ago was on the front page of the Herald.
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The Herald’s March 12 editorial states that palliative care employs people trained to do just that. Well, VON had put in the request for a palliative assessment for my father.
So first, the client/patient has an assessment from the palliative team. My father didn’t pass that 20-minute assessment; that’s how long they were at my father’s house, so he stated to me. We, the family, were not even told when the palliative nurse would be coming to do the assessment, so neither my brother nor I were there.
When I learned that the palliative nurse had a meeting with my father, I called her and she stated to me: “Well, he eats, he walked me to the door and your mother was there doing crossword puzzles, so she can help.” I wonder how many spouses do crossword puzzles when their significant other is being assessed for palliative care? My mother has and had dementia at that time, and in her crossword puzzles, she circled letters, not words. As far as eating, a two-year-old eats more than my father did in the last year of his life. So I hope you’re right, that since my father died in emergency two years ago, the palliative system has gotten better at training their staff to know when someone is at the end stage of their life.
Every time I read an obituary and the palliative care team In Cumberland are thanked, I am envious, because my father and our family deserved that level of care and comfort just as much as anyone else.
Margaret Brown (daughter of the late Denton Brown), Amherst
COVID-19 funds meagre
Ottawa’s recently announced $1-billion commitment to combat COVID-19 appears, on the surface, to be substantial, but a closer look would suggest the opposite. Half of this will go toward research on prevention, treatment and vaccines. The remaining $500 million will go to provinces. Nova Scotia has three per cent of Canada’s total population and could expect to receive $15 million. However, this only represents about $15 per person. This may not even cover the cost of testing, let alone the increased health-care costs. Nova Scotia’s highest proportion of elderly in Canada would suggest significantly more is needed.
Richard O’Brien, Bedford
Running from the issues
As Jim Vibert observed in his March 11 column, the McNeil Liberal government has shut down the seasonal sitting of the legislature without the opportunity for any reasonable accountability. This was done with the clear knowledge of the tsunami of events threatening the Nova Scotia economy and every citizen’s health. Closing the legislature is a shocking disregard for the obvious responsibility of government to be ready to act in the face of imminent calamities. What plans does our government have to confront these issues?
A few 811 (call-in-advance COVID-19 drive-in) locations just does not cut the readiness measure. And does Premier Stephen McNeil not know that national and international health advice is to forgo cruises? Our summer tourist industry has a skewed dependence on cruises! Is there a plan in place to deal with a predictable collapse of this sector? Furthermore, what if a cruise ship (assuming some actually come) arrives with sick COVID-19 passengers — what’s the plan? We know the costly history to our health system from past occasional incidences of cruise illnesses when zero was recovered, not to mention the impact on hospital capacity.
And what is the financial plan for the Yarmouth-to-Bar Harbor ferry, as it is just another cruise? More fairy tales?
Then there is the oil price war that is causing other aspects of our fragile economy to shake. What is the game plan, Mr. Premier, for the effects of this on our revenues and our economy?
We need a government that seems engaged in and ready for these issues — to anticipate and plan to deal with events that are upon us. What are you doing, Premier McNeil?
Ross Haynes, Halifax
